Pyrotechnical device



Maize, 1925. 1,538,879

7 M. M. ADLER PYROTECHNICAL DEVICE Filed April 17. 1923 Patented May 26,1925.

UNITED SAES AENT PYROTECHNICAL DEVICE.

Application filed April 17, 1923. Serial No. 632,664.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON M. ADLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pyrotechnical Devices;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pyrotechnical devices in thenature of a detonating firework or fire-cracker of the general type orkind shown and described in my prior United States Letters Patent No.1,441,551, dated January 9th, 1923.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a detonatingfire-work or firecracker which is safe to handle, which will not flyapart when set off so as to endanger the eyes or person of the user, orentail risk of igniting fires, and which is constructed to produce, whenset off, a series or inter mittent succession of detonations, renderingthe same of pleasing and interesting efiect, and providing a fire-workor fire-cracker which will operate for a comparatively long time afterit is ignited.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detaileddescription of the same.

With the various objects of this invention in View, the same consists,primarily, in the novel detonating fire-work or fire-cracker hereinafterset forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novelarrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as wellas in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will behereinafter more fully described in the following specification, andthen finally embodied in the claim appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete fire-work orfire-cracker, made according to and embodying the principles of thepresent invention; Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through thesame; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the detonating element removedfrom the casing; Figure 4t is a veror box,

Figure 6 is a similar View showing a modified form of the detonatingelement.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates anouter casing the upper wall of which is provided with an opening 2. Saidcasing or box 1 is provided at its opposite ends with end-flaps 3provided with tuck-fiaps 4, whereby the ends of the casing or box arenormally closed. Provided in said end-flaps 3, or at other points in thesides of the complete casing or box, are a plurality of ventilatingperforations 5, which permit access of air into the interior chamber 6provided by the casing or box. The said casing or box is preferably madeof comparatively heavy paper or light card-board, or of any othersuitable material.

The reference character 7 indicates a solid disc-like body or lozenge ofpyrotechnical composition adapted to produce intermittent detonationswhen ignited. A composition suitable for the production of the disc-likebody or lozenge 7 comprises a mixture of gum-arabic, carbonate ofmagnesium, white phosphorus, red ocher and potassium chlorate. In thiscomposition the phosphorus and potassium chlorate are the combustibleand detonating or explosive elements which are, in the mixture,separatedzby the carbonate of magnesium and the inert filler formed bythe red. ocher, the gum arabic being the binder. composition is mixedtogether and dried in disc-like or lozenge form and then ignited thecombustion thereof will be comparatively slow, and will be accompaniedby intermittent detonations as the particles of potassium chlorate areignited. It will, of course, be understood that I do not limit myselfnecessarily to the use of the particular detonating composition abovedescribed, since I may employ for the purpose any other pyrotechnicalcompound known to those skilled in the art which is adapted to producewhen ignited a slow combustion accompanied by intermittent explosions ordetonations. After the disc-like body or loz- When this a enge 7 ofpyrotechnical composition is formed and before the same hardens I attachthereto a fuse-element 8, one. end of which may be imbedded in thedisc-like body or lozenge 7 as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4:. If desiredthe disc-like body or. lozenge 7 may be wrapped in an adhering coveringof thin paper or the like 9, as

shown in Figures 2 and 3, whereby undue disruption of thebody or lozenge7 is prevented during the combustion thereof. It

will-be understood, however, that said cover-ing ofpaper orthe like 9may be omitted if desired, as'shown'in igure 4:. Instead of imbeddingthe end of the fuse-element 8 in the body'or lozenge-7 as heretoforementioned, I may wrap the said bodyor lozenge in the covering of'paperor the like 9, and then attach one end of the fuse-element 8 tothe exterior surface thereof by means of.

an adhesive '10, such as dextrine or other suitable gum, as shown nFigure 5; or I may omit the'paper covering 9, and attach thefuse-element8 by means'of the adhesive "10 directly to the-surface of the body orlozenge 7 as shown in Figure 6; and infact I may attach saidfuse-element 8 operatlvely 'to the body or lozenge 7in-any other mannerfound convenient or desirable.

After the combustibledetonating body or lozenge 7 with the fuse-element8 attached thereto is prepared, the same is inserted in the casing orbox 1, with the free end of said fuse-element 8 projecting outwardlythrough the top opening 2, 'and 'then the side flaps 3 of the casing orbox=are closed, whereupon the device is ready for use. In

operation, the free end of said fuse-element 8 is ignited and burns'downuntil'the combustion thereof is communicated to the body orloZenge 7,whereupon the latter'b-urns and gives off the intermittent detonationscharacteristic thereto, and which will continue for a'comp'arativelylong time. Air't-o support thecombustionof the body or lozenge 7 willcirculate through the interior 6 of the box'or casing 1 finding accessthereinto through the perforations 5provide'd in the sides of "thecasing and through the opening 2 inthe top thereof. The; detonatingbodyor lozenge 7 tends to disrupt more or less during the combustionthereof, but nevertheless the disrupted or separated particles breakingoff from the body or lozenge under the explosive effects accompanyingcombustion cannot fly about promiscuously or escape from the enclosingcasing. It will therefore be quite evident that the device is unusuallysafe for childrens amusement since there is little danger ofscatteringparticles of fire or smoldering fragments burning the child, ignitingits clothing, or objects in the vicinity wherein the device is set ofl.

Lam aware that some changes may be -made in the arrangements andcombinations 'of the parts making up the device, as well as in thedetails of the construction and composition of the same. withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention as set forth above and asdefined in theappended claim.

Hence, I do not limit myself to the-exact arrangements and combinationsof the various devices andpartsyas described in the foregoingspecification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of theconstruction of the said parts as'illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

A pyrotechnical device, comprisinga casing, adapted to provide a hollowenclosed interior, a lonzenge of detonating pyrotechnical compositionloosely disposed within said casing, adapted to produce inter-'mittent-detonations when ignited a fuse-element havlng one end affixedto said lozenge of pyrotechnical composition, said casing having anopening in the top wall thereof through which the free end-of saidfuseelement may project exterior-1y from said casing, and the side wallsof said casing having ventilating perforations to admlt air intotheinterior of said casing.

In testimony, that I claim the invention,

set forth above I'have hereunto set my hand 'this20th day'of -March,1923.

' MILTONM. ADLER.

Witnesses L GEORGE 'D. RICHARDS, 7 :EVA E. DnsoH;

